‘Dog seller’ who allegedly mutilates puppies arrested

Cape Town – Western Cape police have confirmed the arrest of a male suspect accused of selling puppies.

The man was arrested on Sunday, 24 February 2019 at approximately 8pm, in Wandel Street, Dunkley Square, Gardens.

He was detained at Cape Town Central police station and charged under the Animal Protection Act.

The suspect was sought for allegedly mutilating puppies and then offering them for sale in public places.

This method of selling puppies apparently garners sympathy from buyers who are moved by the sight of the suffering puppy and then buy it to seek medical care for the poor animal.

Concerned people had banded together on social media and offered rewards of up to R5000 for information leading to his arrest.

A Facebook post offering a reward to anyone who finds the man went viral, garnering well over 1000 shares in less than 24 hours.

The reward offering began with one woman putting up R500 of her cash – but many others offered to add their contributions, and within hours the reward increased to R5000.

It’s any animal lover’s instinct to try remove a dog which has been maimed, but rescuing or buying animals in this situation does more harm than good, previously said Cape of Good Hope SPCA chief executive Mqabuko Ndukwana.

“We want the public to be aware of this,” he said.

“If there’s a demand, then there will be a supply. By buying those animals, you are not saving the animal; you are perpetuating the cruelty. You are bringing more animals into the same cycle.”

Ndukwana urged the public to rather contact law enforcement immediately so that due legal process could be followed. He said the SPCA has been investigating this particular individual for three years and had laid charges against him for other incidents in the past.